The winds in a wine-sack, to carry us home. That was our gift, Statheros! What were they hoping for? Gold? What were they going to do with gold out here? Those idiots wasted the only chance we had.

STATHEROS

That wasn’t your fault, Odysseus. I –

ODYSSEUS

You played your part, same as they did. What’s left to hope for now?

STATHEROS

If I’m right about where we are, the wind is still against us. We’d need a miracle from the Gods.

ODYSSEUS

Ha! You hear that, Aiolos? A miracle! Another miracle! What have you got for me, Aiolos? You hear that? I need your help!

SOUND

THE HEAVENS BEGIN TO RUMBLE. ENTER AIOLOS.

AIOLOS

You had my help. I gave you the winds.

ODYSSEUS

My men were foolish –

AIOLOS

Your men squandered my gift, and you let them do it. I remember when you called yourself the ruler of the heavens. Now look at you. You can’t control a fleet of homesick bandits.

ODYSSEUS

I’ve been loyal to you –

AIOLOS

Your loyalty isn’t worth what it used to be, 'King Odysseus'. And my patience with you is exhausted. You want my favour? You’ve lost it. Prove yourself useful and earn it back. (HE FADES AWAY)

ODYSSEUS

I swear to you, I’ll find the man who did this!

SOUND

THE HEAVENS STOP RUMBLING

ODYSSEUS

You have a lot to answer for.

STATHEROS

It couldn’t have been me. I was with you when it happened.

ODYSSEUS

Of course. I know that. But that’s not the point. Whoever did this, you caused it. You, with your stupid little outburst. Whoever stole from me was emboldened by you, or at least thought he could hide behind you.

STATHEROS

Odysseus -

SOUND

ENTER LUPIOS

LUPIOS

Odysseus! What is happening to us?

ODYSSEUS

The man who opened that bag will suffer. We may be lost for a long time.

SCENE 7

INT. BANQUET NIGHT.

SOUND

SLOW-FADE IN. DIFFERENT MOOD – LATER, QUIETER, RAPT ATTENTION. ODYSSEUS IS BEING LISTENED TO. HE IS IN CONTROL OF HIS STORY, FOR NOW.

GELASTOS

How long?

ODYSSEUS

Six days and nights. Sometimes, every man aboard hauled till his lungs burned. Sometimes, we drifted like orphans for hours. Ithaca was lost – all hope of land was lost - because someone got greedy. And everyone knew it.

BEATRIX

But you did find land.

ODYSSEUS

Oh, more than once. We made it back to where we’d been before. They said we’d insulted the Gods - turned us away, just as the Gods themselves turned me away when I needed them. I was empty. Dead on the inside. There were nights when I stared at the sea and willed myself to jump in, just to put an end to the nightmares. But fate has peculiar punishments for men who take shortcuts. So we hauled and hauled again – for a place more welcoming, or so we thought.

GELASTOS

You thought wrongly.

ODYSSEUS

Savages. They’d never seen great men before – in the beginning, they didn’t know what to make of a desperate hero and his fleet.

BEATRIX

What did they make of you in the end?

ODYSSEUS

Corpses. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves.

SCENE 8

INT. PALACE DAY. AGNES AND ANTIPHATES LOOK OUT FROM THE PALACE

SOUND

A BELL RINGS FROM THE COURTYARD. HUE AND CRY IN THE DISTANCE

ANTIPHATES

There, in the distance! Three ships - seven –

AGNES

Twelve. Warships.

ANTIPHATES

They’re pirates, Agnes.

AGNES

Antiphates, look closer. Their sails are in tatters, and the oars have no rhythm. They're weary.

ANTIPHATES

Weary or not, what I can see right now is a threat.

AGNES

That's a royal pennant on the mast. They have a king aboard!

ANTIPHATES

A pirate king and his fleet of starving bandits. Agnes, I’m needed elsewhere. (HE LEAVES IN A RUSH)

AGNES

A king for my daughter, and a navy in need of a home.

ANTIPHATES

(OFF MIC) Send soldiers!

AGNES

Trust him to miss a good opportunity. Anthea!

SOUND

ENTER ANTH, PERTURBED

ANTHEA

Yes, mother. I’ve seen them. And I can handle myself! Are you planning to hide me in the cellars?

AGNES

Quite the opposite. Take a water-jug and walk to the riverbank. Fill it up, bring it back and tell me what you’ve seen.

ANTHEA

You heard my father. They could be anyone! You want me kidnapped, killed or worse! Is that your plan?

AGNES

You can handle yourself, can you? Prove it.

ANTHEA

This is –

AGNES

My last chance to get you the future you deserve. Don’t you dare waste it.

You don’t understand, Philautos. Someone here has betrayed us. Stolen from me. That man – whoever he is - that man is diseased flesh. He is a thieving traitor and he nearly killed us all.

LUPIOS

Diseased flesh?

ODYSSEUS

This ship is poisoned with him, and poison spreads. (BEAT) I want us moored a long way from the other boats. Signal the order. While we're ashore, alone, I will find the rot and cut it out.

SOUND

CALLS / SAILS / ROPES (UNDER)

ODYSSEUS

(HOT ON MIC) Cut out the rot - or amputate the entire limb, if I have to.

SOUND

HUSTLE AND BUSTLE GROWS LOUDER. IN THE DISTANCE, ON LAND, A BELL BEGINS TO RING.

ODYSSEUS

And Statheros -

STATHEROS

Yes?

ODYSSEUS

Don’t think I’ve forgotten why this happened.

STATHEROS

But –

ODYSSEUS

How long since your feet last walked on dry land?

STATHEROS

Fourteen days.

ODYSSEUS

You are confined to the ship until we make it back home to Ithaca.

STATHEROS

But what if -

ODYSSEUS

You were right, Statheros. You were with me when the storm broke, so it can’t have been you that stole from me. That makes you the only man aboard I can trust, which means you get to look after my boat. (BEAT) Strange little island. Do you hear them ringing that bell?

STATHEROS

What do you think it means?

ODYSSEUS

It’s an alarm. They think we’re invading. If you hear them ring it again while we’re ashore, you bring this ship around the bay.

STATHEROS

Understood.

ODYSSEUS

This is the part where you thank me for sparing your life.

STATHEROS

Thank you, Odysseus.

SOUND

SLOW-FADE TO BANQUET

SCENE 10

INT. BANQUET NIGHT.

BEATRIX

You hid your ship from your own men.

ODYSSEUS

No. The only ones in hiding were the traitors.

BEATRIX

The ones you took ashore with you.

ODYSSEUS

With good reason. I wanted proof. And I wanted them in my sight.

GELASTOS

But . . . you let your guard slip?

ODYSSEUS

They weren’t the only ones I had to watch. Remember what was waiting for us on the shore